By Sara Messenger of Bradley Stoke’s Three Brooks Nature Conservation Group.
It was September when I last wrote an update and although I know we have been busy, it feels as though both ‘much’ and ‘not a lot’ has happened since. We finished our annual survey of our bird nesting boxes at the very last minute and several more owl boxes were put up in Savages Wood.
Once upon a time we boasted a resident pair of tawny owls, but either they have left us or owl expert Ian McGuire’s ‘owl wooing call’ is not as engaging as it once was. Above our fern garden a new box has appeared emblazoned with ‘Alex’ whether this is the name of the box or the bird we have yet to discover.
Our newt ponds were given a bit of a clear up. Sadly, so as to cause as little disturbance as possible, this has to be done when the creatures are hibernating, which is when the temperature is 6 degrees or less. So, if you enjoy being in unflattering waders, past your unmentionables in very cold water and with bare arms pulling roots from the bottom of a murky and muddy pond, this is just the job for you. Oddly enough, although our Green Gym volunteers are usually a robust bunch, on these days they all become such gentlemen willing to wait on dry land and hold my coat for me at the water’s edge.
Even though it was still cold, several male palmate newts were already awake and hanging around the pond edges and looking for love. What we did find in the lower pond though was not love but a dead parakeet and I am ashamed to say that several of us, who are old enough to know better did repeat ‘that’ Monty Python sketch verbatim!
Green Gym has welcomed several new members and they have been kept busy, although their first day could best be described as ‘interesting.’ We had been clearing a tree that had fallen by the path and moving it away from the brook when a couple from a neighbouring house asked what we were doing and why didn’t we take the wood away and “put it in landfill or something”. We identified ourselves several times (as if the hard hats and green shirts with logos weren’t enough of a clue) and explained what we were doing, but they still reported us to South Glos Council for fly tipping!
Bramble bashing
Undeterred, we carried on and responded to a plea from The Brightwell Centre to help them with the bramble spilling into their grounds from the council-managed verge on Bradley Stoke Way. We spent two sessions bramble bashing, weeding and planting, leaving ourselves just enough time to enjoy a very civilised tea break, actually sitting at tables instead of standing around trying to balance both mugs and madeleines. It was very well deserved though as the weather that day had thrown wind, rain and sleet at us and we all returned home just a little cold and soggy.
Tesco Triangle
In between showers, we have also managed to litter pick, replace an orienteering post, install a compass stone by the gate, put up more of Colin’s boot brushes and tend his allotment, and give the ‘Tesco Triangle’ some attention. Although this area is by the Willow Brook car park, it is actually part of the nature reserve, and we are hopeful that the builders of the new fast food outlets will keep to their assurances that they will protect the roots of these mature trees. These trees did offer the only shaded area of the car park, a benefit that I am sure will be missed by many this summer.
Our ‘new’ community orchard has two new editions, a plum and a Bramley apple both donated and planted by Rachel & Sheridan in memory of his father John Rendall. They have been put at the front so that from the path, John’s wife will be able to see them growing.
Trees have featured heavily in Green Gym’s recent workload. For only the second time we turned our hand to hedge laying and completed the live hedge that the Saturday group started by the Savages Wood gate. It now runs along the entire edge of the wood stopping briefly under the skate park oak and then continuing in the opposite direction around the corner to the bridge. The hedge has proved hugely popular with both people and wildlife; the robins flit in and out looking for food and the squirrels are often seen running along its length. And when one is chased by a dog, it provides a handy safety barrier for them. I’m not entirely sure what the squirrel was saying from its refuge on the other side, but I’m fairly sure that if I knew, they wouldn’t be words that I could repeat here!
We’ve been told that now this area is more open, and you can see into the woods, it feels ‘safer’ and is much more ‘inviting.’ From a conservation point of view, there are so many benefits to a hedge; some birds will only nest in hedges (not trees) and the low hedges allow light and warmth to enter into the woods, both of which are essential for the flora and fauna to thrive. Studies have shown that flying insects do not venture more than a few feet into woodland as there is little there in the way of warmth or food. Within just a few weeks you could see the undergrowth springing into life.
How to contact the Three Brooks Nature Conservation Group:
- t: 07497 006676
- e: info@three-brooks.info
- w: www.three-brooks.info
- Facebook: Three Brooks Nature Conservation Group
This article originally appeared in the March/April 2022 issue of the Bradley Stoke Journal magazine (on page 16). The magazine is delivered FREE, nine times a year, to ALL 8,700 homes in Bradley Stoke. Phone 01454 300 400 to enquire about advertising or leaflet insertion.
